Snow-Capped Chocolate Yule Log

Ingredients

• 5 sprays of cooking spray
• 24 tbsp Light whipped topping, (1 1/2 cups)
• 5 oz semisweet chocolate, divided
• 2 tbsp black coffee, brewed
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process variety
• ¼ tsp table salt
• 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
• 4 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar (confectioners)
• ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 5 vanilla meringue cookies, roughly crushed (about 7.5 g each)
• 2 peppermint hard candy, roughly smashed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Coat a 15 ½- X 10 ½- x 1-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides; coat paper with cooking spray.
3. Roughly chop 4 oz chocolate. In a small microwavable bowl, combine chopped chocolate and coffee. Microwave on High for 20 seconds; stir until smooth. Set aside; let cool.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 2 Tbsp granulated sugar; beat until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
6. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks, remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, and vanilla until pale yellow, and the mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted for about 3 minutes.
7. With a spatula, gently fold the chocolate-coffee mixture into the egg yolk mixture just until blended. Then gently fold 1/3 of the beaten egg white mixture into a bowl just until no streaks of whites remain; fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions.
8. Sift half of the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture; gently fold just until blended. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.
9. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched in the center, about 10 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar over a large clean kitchen towel on a flat surface: immediately invert the hot cake over a towel. Carefully peel off and discard parchment paper. Starting from a long side, gently roll up the cake, jelly-roll style, using a towel. Cool rolled cake on wire rack.
11. While the cake cools, puree ricotta in a food processor; transfer to a large bowl and fold in whipped topping.
12. Carefully unroll the cake, leaving it on a towel (cracking is okay). Spread with filling, leaving a 1-inch border on the long side opposite you. Reroll the cake and transfer it to a serving plate. (You can leave it as one long log or cut off a “branch” as we did here.)
13. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the remaining 1 oz chocolate on High for 20 seconds; stir until smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate evenly over the cake; sprinkle with crushed cookies and candies. Slice into 12 pieces; serve.
14. Serving Size: 1 Snow-Capped Chocolate Yule Log slice!